Water drains are used in various applications. One such application is a trench drain. One type of trench drain is a linear floor drain, for example, used in shower floors. Linear floor drains typically include a U-shaped channel depending downwardly from and located under a floor surface. The channel includes generally horizontal sidewalls depending upwardly from and surrounding a drain trough. The drain trough is configured to convey liquid (e.g., water) entering the channel to a drainpipe.
Typically, a trench drain includes a channel depth equal to or greater than a channel width (e.g., the lateral distance between the sidewalls). Disadvantageously, due to the channel depth of traditional trench drains, installation of a linear floor drain may be limited. For example, the floor must be deep enough to accommodate the channel depth; otherwise, a linear floor drain may not be an available drain option.
One solution to this disadvantage is to lower the subfloor below the drain floor surface in order to increase the available depth needed for the linear floor drain. Disadvantageously, this solution requires substantial modification to the floor, for example, requiring cutting out and splicing portions of the underlying floor joists.
Another solution to this disadvantage is to raise the drain floor surface above the surrounding floor surface in order to increase the available depth needed for the linear floor drain. Disadvantageously, this solution creates a physical step up to the drain floor surface. Such a step up can create a barrier making it difficult, particularly for a disabled person, to access the drain floor surface. For example, the barrier can block entry to and exit from a shower.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of floor drain systems.